


Small Negotiations

by writingfromdarkplaces



Series: Never a Lady [2]
Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, F/M, Gen, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-11 12:03:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7891411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingfromdarkplaces/pseuds/writingfromdarkplaces
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After their initial meeting, Kara and the lord's son come to some sort of agreement about sharing his horse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Small Negotiations

**Author's Note:**

> It has been in the back of my mind for a while to do a story where Kara and Lee share their first ride together. It was just something I found extremely intimidating, and so I gladly let other fics distract me, and still would, I admit, but I managed to get this part done, and I'm glad I did.

* * *

“Morning.”

Kara blinked, raising a hand to cover her eyes as she did. She didn't understand. This wasn't her bedroom—not at the brothel and not at her father's manor. She was by herself, for one thing, and the be was way too soft. Too nice. This wasn't her room.

And that man was not her father.

She swallowed, trying to understand what he was doing and what to expect from him. He was strange, hadn't made sense since they met. He wasn't like the men in her mother's brothel, since they only saw one thing when they looked at her or any other woman. He wasn't like her father, either. “Do you make a practice of waltzing into women's bedrooms like you own the place?”

Amused, he stopped and leaned against the bedpost, smiling. “In one sense, I do. Own the place, I mean. Assuming I don't die before my father or get myself disowned, this will all be mine someday. As for waltzing—no. I don't actually dance. Ever.”

She turned her head to the side. “Pity. You'd probably be better at it than most—or at least look better doing it.”

He frowned. “Wrong on both counts, but I suppose you wouldn't know any better.”

“I'm not an idiot.”

“I didn't think you were, even if the hike you took after your injuries was ill-advised.” He tilted his head, studying her. “Are you at all interested in returning home?”

She frowned. “Wait, why would you think that I wouldn't be?”

He laughed. “Like you weren't running from there yesterday. I don't have to send you back, though my father would rather I did. My brother would rather I didn't—he thinks you're pretty, so watch out for him. I can offer you a new dress and a ride home.”

“On your horse?”

“You could have the coach and—”

“No,” she said quickly, knowing that the last thing she wanted was a stuffy carriage ride back to her smothering house. She had practically flown when riding Viper last night, and she wanted to feel that again. “Your horse. That's the only one worth riding anyway.”

He snorted. “Hardly, but you haven't had much opportunity to ride, I don't think.”

“Quit assuming you know me.”

“I didn't say that I did. The maid left the dress next to the table there. If you want it, take it. I will be down in the stables.”

“What, no breakfast?”

“I always take my rides before breakfast. If you want food, you can have it. Go downstairs. The servants will see to what you need.”

“But you won't be there.”

“No, I'm going for a ride. Goodbye, Miss Thrace.”

“Kara,” she said, and he looked back at her with a frown. She shrugged. Thrace might be her father's name, but that didn't mean that she used it. She was just Kara, and she wanted to stay that way. “You didn't say what your name was.”

“No, I didn't,” he agreed, but he didn't offer a name as he left the room.

She laid back on the pillows. “Frak.”

* * *

“He's still a beautiful horse.”

Lee looked over from Viper's mane, taking in the girl in her borrowed dress. She looked more bedraggled today than she had the day before, when he'd found her in the rain. That shouldn't be possible, but the dress she wore was his mother's—too large for her and out of fashion as well.

“You thought that would change overnight?” Lee asked. “What, you believed it was a dream?”

“Sometimes it feels like it,” she said, going over to Viper's head, touching his nose. “Sometimes everything since my dad came feels like I've dreamt it up. I don't know why I'd pick a bunch of stuck up idiots to dream about, but you're not so bad. Neither is he.”

Lee shook his head. “You know nothing about me.”

She looked at him. “I know I'd rather spend time with you than your servants. That's all I need to know, since I'm only interested in the horse anyway.”

He snorted. “You're impossible.”

“What would the terms of our deal be, anyway?”

“Excuse me?”

She grinned, enjoying herself. “Well, I did bring back your horse, so in a sense you owe me. I'd like daily rides, at least. What would it take to arrange that?”

He frowned. “Far more than you have to give, I'm afraid, so you may as well forget it. I'm not about to give you my horse.”

“Not give. Share. You are familiar with the concept, aren't you? Or is that something that rich lord's sons never do? Share?”

Lee glared at her. “I might be the heir here, but don't think for one frakking minute, I haven't earned that. I had to go to war. I had to fight my way from the bottom to command, had to earn a rank by taking lives and winning battles, and I have done that. I fought. I nearly died. All for a title I don't even want.”

“That is frakked up, I hope you know that.”

Lee grimaced. He hadn't meant to share any of that with her. She'd gotten him talking, and he hadn't stopped himself. That was not what he did. He didn't know how he'd gotten that stupid, but it was not happening again. “I assume that you're here because you want that ride.”

“I do,” she said. “So are you taking me or not?”

“You're not going to insist on going by yourself?”

“Would you let me?”

“No.”

* * *

Kara watched as the lord's son climbed up onto his horse. She wished she had a way to keep this moment forever because this was a sight worth viewing. Over and over again, even. She had seen so many men come and go at her mother's place, but not one of them was as impressive to her as Lee Adama. He was something else. Fit like a soldier, pretty like a painting—she could picture him done up like one of the ones downstairs in his house, portraits done in fancy dress or historical costume. He should be dressed up like something from the old days. Something classical. Something like... a Greek god. That would be perfect.

“Are you going to stare at me all day or are you going to ride?”

Kara hoped she wasn't blushing. She didn't want to blush. That would be so frakking embarrassing. “Ride, of course.”

She held out a hand, and he caught her arm, helping her swing up and onto Viper's back behind him. Oh, lords. She was going to have to hold onto him the entire time. She wasn't sure what to do about that.

“You're ruining this for me,” she muttered. “The view. Like I want to watch your back the entire time. Where is the fun in that?”

“Behave yourself and maybe you can earn the front.”

She swallowed. “You mean that? You'll actually do this again?”

“I never said that.” He urged the horse on, and Viper was out of the stable like a bullet from a gun, taking off at full speed. Kara wrapped her arms around Adama, needing to hold tight to keep herself from falling off.

She'd made a mistake. This didn't ruin anything. It might even make it that much better.

She closed her eyes and flew.


End file.
